Line of Sight/Targets/Darkness??

[McClintock]

Here's the Scoop:

Warlock casts darkness in a room with a Naga trapped in a forcecage. His contention is that the Naga cannot target him with a spell similar to finger of death (all i know about the spell to be used). Can the Naga Target him?

FINGER OF DEATH

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Finger of Death
Necromancy [Death]
Level: Drd 8, Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

You can slay any one living creature within range. The target is entitled to a Fortitude saving throw to survive the attack. If the save is successful, the creature instead takes 3d6 points of damage +1 point per caster level (maximum +25).

The subject might die from damage even if it succeeds on its saving throw.

DARKNESS

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Darkness
Evocation [Darkness]
Level: Brd 2, Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Object touched
Duration: 10 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell causes an object to radiate shadowy illumination out to a 20-foot radius. All creatures in the area gain concealment (20% miss chance). Even creatures that can normally see in such conditions (such as with darkvision or low-light vision) have the miss chance in an area shrouded in magical darkness.

Normal lights (torches, candles, lanterns, and so forth) are incapable of brightening the area, as are light spells of lower level. Higher level light spells are not affected by darkness.

If darkness is cast on a small object that is then placed inside or under a lightproof covering, the spell’s effect is blocked until the covering is removed.

Darkness counters or dispels any light spell of equal or lower spell level.
Arcane Material Component

A bit of bat fur and either a drop of pitch or a piece of coal.

CONCEALMENT

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Concealment

To determine whether your target has concealment from your ranged attack, choose a corner of your square. If any line from this corner to any corner of the target’s square passes through a square or border that provides concealment, the target has concealment.

When making a melee attack against an adjacent target, your target has concealment if his space is entirely within an effect that grants concealment. When making a melee attack against a target that isn’t adjacent to you use the rules for determining concealment from ranged attacks.

In addition, some magical effects provide concealment against all attacks, regardless of whether any intervening concealment exists.
Concealment Miss Chance

Concealment gives the subject of a successful attack a 20% chance that the attacker missed because of the concealment. If the attacker hits, the defender must make a miss chance percentile roll to avoid being struck. Multiple concealment conditions do not stack.
Concealment and Hide Checks

You can use concealment to make a Hide check. Without concealment, you usually need cover to make a Hide check.
Total Concealment

If you have line of effect to a target but not line of sight he is considered to have total concealment from you. You can’t attack an opponent that has total concealment, though you can attack into a square that you think he occupies. A successful attack into a square occupied by an enemy with total concealment has a 50% miss chance (instead of the normal 20% miss chance for an opponent with concealment).

You can’t execute an attack of opportunity against an opponent with total concealment, even if you know what square or squares the opponent occupies.

[Righteous Doggy]

Well, depending on the type of forcecage. No spell can pass through it or it gives cover ontop of the concealment.

[gbprime]

We'll assume it's the forcecage with the holes in it, because as pointed out earlier, if it is solid, the Naga can't do much of anything to you.

Finger of Death does not require a to-hit roll, therefore the 20% concealment does not impede the spell. You would need total concealment instead, because that prevents the Naga from targetting you.

[tyckspoon]

^^they've covered most of it.

A Targeted spell, like Finger of Death, does not care about concealment. If you can be accurately identified as the desired target, the spell works and you have to make a save. If it's an actual attack instead- such as an Effect: Ray spell where the caster is launching a magic projectile- then you get the usual benefit of having a miss chance. Your player is confused about something, either what exactly the Darkness spell actually does or about the difference between 'concealment' (you are a bit hard to see) and 'Total concealment' (You can't be seen.)